Your body uses common everyday minerals to perform vital functions. Mineral deficiencies cause health problems including anemia, hypertension, fatigue and irregular breathing. The human body requires two types of minerals, macrominerals and trace minerals. The recommended daily allowance for macrominerals is larger than the recommended amount for trace minerals. Macrominerals include sulfur, phosphorus and calcium. Cobalt, iodine and zinc are examples of trace minerals.
Calcium
The most abundant mineral found in the human body is calcium. Your bones and teeth consist of about 99 percent calcium, according to Medline Plus, a National Institutes of Health website. Your body uses calcium for growth, blood clotting, nerve signals, muscle movement, heartbeat regulation and hormones. Dairy products offer a significant source of calcium and removing the fat does not reduce this amount. Vegetable sources of calcium include broccoli, kale, almonds and dried beans. Animal sources of calcium include salmon and canned sardines with bones. Calcium supplements can be useful treating the symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome and as a pro-active program for osteoporosis prevention.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body and works with calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Your kidneys use phosphorus to help filter waste from your body. Your body uses phosphorus to grow, maintain and repair all your tissues and cells. Phosphorus is essential to the production of DNA and RNA. Most Americans obtain adequate amounts of phosphorus in their daily diets. In a medical setting, phosphorous is used to treat health conditions including hypophosphatemia and calcium-based kidney stones, according to information provided by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Hypophosphatemia is a health condition characterized by low levels of phosphorus in the body and symptoms include muscle weakness and confusion. Phosphorus compounds are used as ingredients in a variety of products, including explosives, fertilizers, soft drinks and toothpaste.
Magnesium
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and a co-factor for more than 300 metabolic reactions, according to a literature review conducted jointly by the University of Connecticut and University of Pennsylvania. However, up to 75 percent of Americans do not consume their recommended daily allowance. The findings, reported in the July 15, 2009 issue of the medical journal "American Family Physician," show promising results for the use of magnesium to lower risk of metabolic syndrome, improve insulin and glucose metabolism and menstrual pain. In medical settings, magnesium has shown to have a potential therapeutic use in the treatment of coma, seizures and hypertension associated with pregnancy, as well as an irregular heartbeat, severe asthma and migraine headaches.
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